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The clearest documented example of The Far Side turning American history into a gag is Gary Larson’s cartoon about the Battle of Bunker Hill. Its joke hinges on the famous order “Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes”—and on one unfortunate redcoat who apparently doesn’t know it.
The Bunker Hill cartoon’s historical reference
The official Far Side site identifies the scene as Bunker Hill on June 17, 1775. Its accompanying caption describes an unlucky British soldier, Charles “Bugeyed” Bingham, who does not know that the opposing American general has just given the order, “Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes.”
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The humor comes from treating a famous battlefield command as a piece of practical information that one individual has missed. The reference is recognizable even if a reader remembers the order but not the details of the battle. The invented name and the soldier’s predicament give the familiar historical phrase a small, absurd personal consequence.
Why “funniest” is a matter of judgment
There is no objective measure establishing which Far Side cartoons about American history are funniest or most popular. A thoughtful selection would weigh how recognizable the historical reference is, how clearly the cartoon connects to it, how surprising the gag feels, and how well it works for someone encountering it now. Those are editorial criteria, not a measured ranking.
#1 Best Overall
An article promising fifteen specific cartoons would need to identify and check all fifteen panels. The available source material confirms the Bunker Hill cartoon but does not document fifteen selections, so naming fourteen more as verified picks would overstate what is established.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Where to find more of Larson’s cartoons
Gary Larson created The Far Side, which debuted in January 1980 and ran in newspapers for fourteen years, according to its publisher. Andrews McMeel Publishing describes The Complete Far Side as containing every syndicated cartoon—more than 4,000—arranged approximately chronologically by publication year. It is a broad collection of Larson’s work, not a history-specific anthology.
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Rank #2
The publisher also says the strip was syndicated internationally to more than 1,900 daily newspapers during its run. For readers looking to browse historical references beyond Bunker Hill, the complete collection is the most directly relevant published compilation described by the publisher.
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Rank #4
- Author: Larson, Gary.
- Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
- Pages: 192
- Publication Date: 2003
- Edition: Illustrated
Rank #3
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